Foxconn Founder Terry Gou to Run for Taiwan Presidency Again

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Facts

  • On Wednesday, Terry Gou, founder of major Apple supplier Foxconn, announced he will run to be nominated by Taiwan's traditionally more pro-China and main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT) in the island's 2024 presidential election.1
  • Speaking at a hotel on his return from a week-long trip to the US, Gou argued that the only way to avoid war with China is to ease US-China tensions and remove the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from office.2
  • This is the second time that Gou makes a presidential bid since stepping down as head of Foxconn in 2019. He lost the race for the KMT's nomination that year and is reportedly trailing behind the mayor of New Taipei City, Hou Yu-ih.3
  • If opinion polls are correct and he doesn't win the nomination, Gou said he would fully support Hou. The DPP has already chosen Taiwan's Vice President William Lai to be its candidate for January's vote.3
  • The run-up to the election comes as tensions between Taipei and Beijing are simmering, with China staging regular military drills near the island. This announcement also comes on the same day incumbent Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.4
  • The KMT has governed the island for most of the period since its breakaway from the mainland in 1949.1

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Al Jazeera, 3The straits times and 4Reuters.

Narratives

  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by Taipei times. Due to its unrealistic policy platform, the KMT is a divided party with little hope of taking the presidency next year. Because the party faces internal friction between potential nominees, its delusional belief that playing nice with the PRC will help avoid an invasion will only worsen its standing in the polls.
  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global times. As the KMT understands, the recently growing tensions between Taiwan and China were caused by radical separatists and foreign influence. The DPP actively hides from its people the historical and cultural ties between the island and the mainland, which is why voting them into power will only lead to the destruction younger generations have been taught to ignore.

Predictions